able to. I’m looking for Loni. We were supposed to meet half an hour ago to go over some more details on this assignment. I mean, I told her quite clearly that we should meet at eleven thirty. You know I have a good mind to go and speak to Principal Kessler about this. Why should my grades suffer just because Loni’s a total slacker?”
Emma narrowed her eyes and felt her back stiffen. “Loni’s not a slacker. And besides, Principal Kessler has better things to do than listen to you.”
“But it’s okay when you go and waste his time with invisible dragons?” Brenda retorted as she caught sight of the books stacked up on the table and wandered toward them, her curiosity obviously getting the better of her. “I didn’t know the library had a copy of Chelmer’s Alchemy of Demons. In fact, I distinctly remember Gretchen telling me that it’s completely impossible to get. I can’t believe she was holding out on me.”
Emma grabbed the book out of Brenda’s hand. “Yeah, well, it’s from my mom’s private collection, and before you ask, no, you can’t borrow it.” But Brenda didn’t seem to hear as she put her bag down and settled herself at the table.
“Oh my God, your mom also has this?” Brenda picked up a second book and looked impressed. “I mean, I knew she was a great dragon slayer but she must’ve been some kind of scholar too. This stuff is hard-core.”
“If you say so.” Emma shrugged while still never taking her gaze off Curtis’s haunted-looking face. He had been about to tell her something. Something important, and call her crazy, but she would much rather be talking to him than to Brenda right now. “But look, Brenda, this really isn’t a good time, so if you don’t mind, we really need to—”
“Wow, and a key to a soul box. I’ve never seen one of these in real life.” Brenda suddenly picked up the crystal pendant that was sitting on the table where Curtis had left it. She held it up to the light so she could inspect it. Emma felt her mouth drop open.
“What did you just say?” Curtis demanded in a low and compelling voice.
“That I’ve never seen one before?” Brenda dutifully repeated, but Curtis shook his head.
“No, the other part. What did you call it?”
“It’s a key to a soul box. Well, I assume it is. I don’t recognize the language of the engravings but I’m pretty sure that these slits are where it’s supposed to fit in. Why are you both looking at me like that?”
“What’s a soul box?” Emma demanded.
Brenda rolled her eyes. “Well, if you guys listened more in Professor Yemin’s class, you might know.” She reached down to her backpack and pulled out a heavy book. She opened it up and pointed to a photo of an ornate box. “Before the Gate of Linaria was shut, some of the elementals—mainly demons, from what I’ve read—that came through couldn’t survive. They were so corrupted and vile that their bodies literally couldn’t stand the purified air of Earth. However, they discovered that if they took out the heart of their darkness—aka their soul—they could survive, and so they created soul boxes. The elemental would come through the gate, lock their soul in the box, and would then go and cause all sorts of mayhem on Earth. Of course, once the gate was closed, the ones that were stuck here died off, and since no more could come through, soul boxes became obsolete. They’re mainly considered a collectible these days. Now, about that book of your mom’s?”
Emma turned to Curtis and stared at him as Brenda cautiously reached out and pried the textbook from her fingers.
Of course.
The answer to the conundrum of how the darkhel could survive on Earth while the Gate of Linaria was still shut. It must have taken its soul and put it in a box while it went looking for the Pure One. Finally, they were getting somewhere.
“So what does the key do?” Emma demanded.
“It opens the box.” Brenda shrugged. “The demon or whatever is using it needs to keep the box somewhere near the gate. If you have the key, you can release the soul and it will go straight back to your demon. Then presto, they will be banished back to the other side of the gate.”
“Banished?” Emma looked up in disappointment. “Why wouldn’t they just die?”
“Because it says so in the book.” Brenda held it up